Maya Named WNBA Rookie of the Year

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This got lost in the mix of UConn's latest offensive power outage (this time in Friday's loss to Iowa State), as well as the reports that the Big East landscape is changing dramatically, but it still merits a mention now. In wholly unsurprising news, former UConn great Maya Moore was named the WNBA's Rookie of the Year.

The league announced Friday that Miss Maya is its 2011 Rookie of the Year. A national panel of 40 sportswriters and broadcasters, not including me, awarded Moore the honor. But I would have if they asked me.

Moore topped all rookies in points (13.2), minutes (28.0) and steals (1.4). She was second overall amongst rookies in rebounds (4.6 and third in assists (2.7).

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft finished the season winning two out of the three WNBA Rookie of the Month honors. Moore is the fourth straight No. 1 selection to win Rookie of the Year, joining Tina Charles (2010), Angel McCoughtry (2009), and Candace Parker (2008).

Other noteworthy nuggets: Maya helped lead the Minnesota Lynx from perennial cellar dwellers to first in the Western Conference (the Lynx are currently tied with the Silver Stars, 1-1, in the conference semifinals), she became the first rookie to start in the All-Star game since 2002, and she even has her own bobblehead.

Altavilla adds: "Moore's best game came Aug. 9 in an 85-80 loss to the Phoenix Mercury. She scored a career-best 28 points, on 6-of-6 shooting from the three and five steals. The six threes tied a record for the most threes made without a miss in a single game."

Maya will receive $5,000 and a fancy trophy for her Rookie of the Year honor.